This disclosure is directed to an apparatus which can be inserted or removed from an ice chest. It is particularly useful with a portable ice chest. A portable ice chest is normally chilled by placing crushed ice in the chest. As the ice melts, it accumulates water on the bottom. The water has a tendency to soak certain stored items. In the instance of canned beverages in glass or metal containers, this poses no particular problem. By contrast, this is a more significant problem in the instance of storing paper wrapped products which wrapping might not fully exclude the water. This would apply to sandwiches and bread. This would also apply to various and sundry pastries. In large part, soaking depends on the integrity of the wrapping; it is not likely that the wrapping will stay completely dry on the interior for extended periods. The tendency to soak the wrapping and hence the product protected by the wrapping is cumulative. It is also aggravated because the ice melts and accumulates water in the bottom of the portable ice chest.
Racks to be positioned in the bottom of an ice chest have been devised heretofore. One such rack is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,157 of Laramy. This shows a rack which is hinged so that the hinged portion can be swung aside. U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,944 of Gardner discloses leg supports. There are a number of limitations in devices of this sort. For instance, the present invention has the combination of a pair of racks which are selectively placed adjacent to one another, thereby providing a broad expanse of support area and which apparatus also enables the two portions to be arranged perpendicular to one another thereby dividing the ice chest into separate areas. The present apparatus does not include a hinge with moving parts which are susceptible of rust or freezing as a result of rust. The present apparatus tolerates water without damage. Moreover, the present apparatus includes a lock mechanism whereby the two portions are locked at right angles. One of the deficiencies of the Laramy apparatus is the pivot without a fixed angular position and the required moving parts. Moreover, the present apparatus provides adequate flexibility to the user such that the alternate preferred embodiment has the two forms which are most convenient and most significant to the user. The apparatus of this disclosure is, therefore, summarized as comprising an elevated rack adapted to be placed within an ice chest. The apparatus utilizes legs extending from a flat planar portion, there being a number of perforations in the planar portion, and the planar portion is preferably divided into two parts. One part incorporates four legs to obtain stability. Two of the legs are arranged at one end and they are formed into pockets or receptacles. The second portion includes two sets of tabs which are sized and aligned for stabbing into the receptacles. This enables the second portion to be positioned parallel and coextensive with the first portion, or alternatively, standing at a right angle.
The user of this device has a number of choices in use. As an example, the food products may be kept above the water resulting from melting ice. The food protection avoids smell and contamination as typically occurs on storing recently caught fish prior to cleaning. The ice water picks up the slime or protective coating found on most fish species. It is usually undesirable to get this slime on the food or food packages. In part, this is accomplished by compartmentalizing the ice chest through the use of this unobvious rack. Division into compartments allocates to the user several option such as a single shelf extending fully across the ice chest. Another choice involves side located lugs and mating rings or hooks in the ice chest to hang a rack. This permits alternate elevations of the installed rack in the chest.
In a simplified alternate embodiment, the apparatus includes a set of legs supporting a large planar surface with a number of perforations therein to drain ice placed on the rack.